2024-12-01 1:16:55 ¶ ●

What’s beautiful about Will’s therapy in season 2 is the dichotomy. Hannibal tries to make him connect with himself–his new self who has tried to murder Hannibal–via various thought exercises (re: close your eyes and imagine what you would have done; how does that make you feel?), and each one brings Will clarity, and this clarity is that, each time, he is actually fantasizing about killing Hannibal. There are times Hannibal knows Will imagines killing him; there are times when he doesn’t—but each time, every single time Hannibal wants Will to associate action and catharsis, he is imagining killing Hannibal Lecter inside his head. Hannibal wants Will to be violent, he wants Will to kill someone, he wants a partner. Ironically, the only person Will wants to kill is Hannibal, and that is hilariously beautiful. Ultimately, he’s able to bring out Will’s callousness and sharpest edges to meet the world, and ultimately, Will cannot kill Hannibal and it is his curse, and it’s great how things work out (not great for Will, of course).